SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Tijuana Mayor Ismael Burgueño Ruiz said U.S. Customs and Border Protection is planning an expansion of the SENTRI lanes at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
These lanes provide faster crossing times for people who are considered low-risk travelers — commuters who have been pre-approved and screened by CBP.
There is a $123 fee to be part of the SENTRI program that must be paid every five years.
Burgueño Ruiz stated that depending on the need, CBP can switch access from one type of lane to another.
“Apparently, with systems they are running, it allows them to easily interchange lanes from SENTRI, to a Ready Lane to an All-Traffic,” he said.
The mayor said this is another idea proposed by Mexican officials as a way to get people across the border faster, especially at San Ysidro where an average of 50,000 cars cross into the U.S. daily.
The city of Tijuana is also said to be considering altering entry points for SENTRI lanes south of the border to diminish congestion around the border crossing, which is the largest in the Western Hemisphere.
At the Calexico West Port of Entry, interchangeable SENTRI and Ready lanes have been part of normal operations since June.
Burgueño Ruiz believes it can work at San Ysidro as well.
“My goal is to strengthen traffic flow,” he said. “When CBP was approached, along with having a safer area, my primary objective is to improve movement.”
Burgueño Ruiz also stated his office has generated a close line of communication with U.S. officials who have been more open to suggestions.
CBP has not spoken specifically about the likelihood of altering SENTRI lanes at San Ysidro, but in the past, the agency has indicated an openness to programs that will improve operations at all of its ports of entry.
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